Organophilic polyphenolic acid additives for well-working compositions

Abstract

The invention provides novel organophilic derivatives of polyphenolic compounds which are readily soluble and/or dispersible in hydrocarbons to prepare oil base well-working compositions having a low filter loss. These fluid loss additives are obtained by reacting together one or more polyphenolic acid compounds with one or more polyamino compounds and a polyvalent metallic cation compound. The invention also provides a method of preparing organophilic ammonium salts of polyphenolic compounds of enhanced stability and oil solubility, and well-working fluids containing these salts.

I claim: 
     
       1. An organophilic derivative of a polyphenolic compound comprising a complex salt of a polyphenolic acid, an amino compound, and a polyvalent metallic cation formed by reacting a salt of said polyphenolic acid and said amino compound with a polyvalent metal compound; wherein said polyphenolic acid is selected from the group consisting of humic acid, sulfonated humic acids, and mixtures thereof; wherein said amino compound has the structural formula:   R"--CO--NH--(C.sub.x H.sub.2x NR').sub.z H     where 2≦x≦3; z≧2; R' is selected from the group consisting of H and R"--CO, and mixtures thereof; R" is an aliphatic group containing from 11 to 29 carbon atoms; wherein at least two of the R' groups are H; wherein said polyvalent metallic cation is selected from the group consisting of calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, nickel, chromium, aluminum, and mixtures thereof; wherein the amount of said amino compound is from about 20% to about 50% by weight based on the weight of moisture free polyphenolic acid; and wherein the amount of said polyvalent metallic cation compound is such that the percentage by weight, based on the weight of the moisture-free polyphenolic acid salt, is in the range from about (EW)÷18 to about (EW)÷4 where (EW) is the equivalent weight of the anhydrous polyvalent metallic cation compound.   
     
     
       2. The composition of matter of claim 1 wherein x is two, 2≦z≦8, and R" is an aliphatic group containing from 11 to 21 carbon atoms. 
     
     
       3. The composition of matter of claim 2 wherein said R" group is an aliphatic group containing from 13 to 17 carbon atoms. 
     
     
       4. The composition of matter of claim 1 wherein said amino compound is a fatty acyl partial amide obtained by reacting a polyethylene polyamine containing from 3 to about 9 amino groups with a fatty acid containing from 14 to 18 carbon atoms is an amount such that from about one-fourth to about three-fourths of the nitrogen atoms are present in the form of a fatty acid amide, provided that at least two of said nitrogen atoms are present as unreacted amino groups. 
     
     
       5. The composition of matter of claim 4 wherein said humic acid is present in the form of lignite having a solubility in aqueous sodium hydroxide of at least 75% by dry weight, and wherein said polyvalent metallic cation is calcium. 
     
     
       6. The composition of matter of claim 1, 2, 3, or 4 wherein said polyphenolic acid is humic acid. 
     
     
       7. The composition of matter of claim 1, 2, 3, or 4 wherein said humic acid is present in the form of lignite having a solubility in aqueous sodium hydroxide of at least 75% by dry weight. 
     
     
       8. The composition of matter of claim 1, 2, 3, or 4 wherein said humic acid is present in the form of lignite having a solubility in aqueous sodium hydroxide of at least 75% by dry weight, and wherein said polyvalent metallic cation is calcium. 
     
     
       9. The composition of matter of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 in which there is present an inert solid diluent in an amount sufficient to improve the handling characteristics of said composition. 
     
     
       10. The composition of matter of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 in which there is present a hydrophobic organophilic water wettable fibrous material in an amount sufficient to improve the handling characteristics of said composition. 
     
     
       11. An oil base well-working fluid comprising a major proportion of oil and a minor proportion but sufficient to substantially decrease the filter loss of said fluid of the composition of matter of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5. 
     
     
       12. In a method of preparing an organophilic derivative of a polyphenolic acid wherein said polyphenolic acid is mixed intensively with an amino compound in an amount of from about 20% to about 50% by weight based on the weight of the moisture free polyphenolic acid to form an ammonium salt of said polyphenolic acid, the improvement which comprises mixing with said ammonium polyphenolic acid salt to form a complex salt therewith a polyvalent metallic cation compound in an amount such that the percentage by weight, based on the weight of the moisture-free ammonium polyphenolic acid salt, is in the range from about (EW)÷18 to about (EW)÷4 where EW is the equivalent weight of the anhydrous polyvalent metallic cation compound; wherein said polyphenolic acid is selected from the group consisting of humic acid, sulfonated humic acid, and mixtures thereof; wherein said amino compound has the structural formula:   R"--CO--NH--(C.sub.x H.sub.2x NR').sub.z H     and mixtures thereof, where 2≦x≦3; z≧2; R' is selected from the group consisting of H and R"--CO, and mixtures thereof; R" is an aliphatic group containing from 11 to 29 carbon atoms; wherein at least two of the R' groups are H; and wherein said polyvalent metallic cation is selected from the group consisting of calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, nickel, chromium, aluminum, and mixtures thereof.   
     
     
       13. The method of claim 12 wherein said polyvalent metallic cation is calcium. 
     
     
       14. The method of claim 12 wherein said polyvalent metallic cation compound is selected from the group consisting of calcium hydroxide, calcium oxide, and mixtures thereof.